Piet-Jan van Rossum (25/01/66) studied composition with Louis Andriessen, Jan Boerman and Dick Raaymakers as well as the organ with Rienk Jiskoot.Van Rossum above all directs his attention to composing and writing. In his own words:“I look upon myself as a storyteller, as a member of an ancient tribe of shy, wildpeople who, through stories, sometimes succeed to create another way ofexperiencing time. My work comprises life as I live it: a piece of wood full ofsplinters, chunks of beauty and the fracturing or lack of it: lots of waiting,silences. This explains my fascination with scratched movies, lazy eyes, a broken voice, old gramophone-records. It’s all about looking for a novelbeauty in the corrosion of an old (sound)world.”

Since 2014, he is a (band) member of lunatree, composing programmes with Arnold Marinissen and handling the electronics.With director and visual artist Petra van der Schoot he founded music theatre group Zoogdier, creating a large production every 4 years (2007/11/15), collaborating with among others Barbara Duijfjes, Reinier van Houdt, Slagwerk Den Haag and Muziekgebouw aan ‘t IJ.In 2010 he was composer in focus at November Music resulting in the publication all and beyond by the festival.He has been chairman of Componisten 96, an association for composers, and recently accomplished the merger with composers association Geneco, resulting in a stronger and more professional Nieuw Geneco.He is also chairman of the board at the Ives ensemble.

Piet-Jan is a film – and bookcollector. His 80-reel collection of nitrate silent movies, some of them considered lost, are now kept at the Eye Filmmuseum.His lifelong interest in theology leads him to monasteries once in a while, making the unimaginable and the unseen regular subjects in his work.Next to 81 compositions he wrote 2 small books and made 1 movie.

Most of his works are for unusual combinations of instruments; specialensembles were formed for special occasions. Next to that he has been and will be played by, a.o.: the Radio Symphony Orchestra, the Radio Philharmonic Orchestra, Holland Symfonia, the David Kweksilber Bigband, MAE, slagwerk Den Haag, ASKO/Schönberg ensemble, the Ives ensemble, Lunatree (Lunapark), Ludwig, the Veni ensemble Bratislawa, ensemble Alpha Tokyo, ensemble <mmm> Tokyo, Egidius kwartet, Ralph van Raat, Reinier van Houdt and Arnold Marinissen.

Born in Delft (NL), since 2013 he divides his time between the Brabant countryside and Brussels.